Illinois Democrats are headed home after a week of politicking at their party’s national convention in North Carolina, but their work for the 2012 elections is just heating up.

Illinois Democrats, Republicans, and opinion polls all suggest President Barack Obama is strongly favored to win his home state.

But delegates like Chicagoan Jim Montgomery aren’t taking that for granted. He says the president now needs to show voters he has concrete plans for fixing the economy. “I’m gonna go home with the idea that we’ve got to fight like hell in order to win this election for Barack Obama,” Montgomery said.

Meanwhile, Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said that he’s focusing on tight Illinois congressional races and presidential swing states.

“Don’t forget, our first job’s Illinois,” Durbin said. “Let’s make sure we do well there for the president, and for every candidate. But our extra hours are gonna be spent in Iowa, Wisconsin, on the phones, when we can visit.”

The Democrats will have their work cut out for them; Illinois Republicans came out of their convention just as focused on the same tight races further down the ticket.